How I Became a Darcyholic: All It Took Was One Man and a Boy Wizard

Guest Post and Give Away By Linda Wells

Hi, Darcyholics!  I am very happy to welcome Linda Wells to Darcyholic Diversions today.  Linda was a guide and a mentor for me when I prepared to publish my first book. So, I have been privileged to know her for a number of years now. She is very prolific as an author, as a number of you are well aware.  She and her 'Darcy of Choice' Matthew MacFadyen are here to visit with us today.  Please welcome her with your comments!

Upcoming Guest Posts Are As Follows:
March 16--Mary Simonsen
March 17--Jennifer Hickling (michchick)
March 20--Jan Hahn (release of The Journey)
March 23--Jeane Alvarez (P&P2005 blog)
March 27--Lucy S.
March 30--Elizabeth Kantor
April 3--Bonnie Carlson
April 6--China Fuentes-Montero
April 10--Matt Duffy
April 13--Regina Jeffers
April 17--Elizabeth Ashton
April 20--Susan Mason-Milks
April 24--Lynne Robson
April 27--Veronica (Dark Jane Austen Book Club)
May 1--Jane Vivash and Matthew MacFadyen
May 4--Susan Adriani
And Many more to come!

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Comments on Linda's post will be entered into her give away. 1 complete set of the ebooks to a non US reader and 1 complete set of either the ebooks or Volume 1 of the paperback to a US reader.  As well you will have a chance to win in the monthly drawings as well.  Entries will be based on comments on blog posts; but additional chances will be given for joining this site, tweeting this post, Joining this site as a member!, sharing this on Facebook or your blog, Friend me on Facebook, clicking 'like’ on Barbara Tiller Cole, Author's Facebook page, Join Darcyholic Diversions Facebook Page or following BarbTCole on Twitter.

How I Became a Darcyholic:  All it Took Was One Man and a Boy Wizard

Let me take you back to those glorious days of yesteryear (cue stirring music), ahh, those lovely days when cable television was delivered through a cable, and not a set top box.  When mere mortals could somehow, mysteriously, and quite happily .  .  . get HBO for free.  Ahhhhh.  Add in repeats of Pride and Prejudice and a gloriously handsome Matthew MacFadyen, and yes, you have it, an addiction was born. 

I didn’t have any idea who Matthew was, not being English and not knowing about MI-5 (aka Spooks), but that man whispering, “Please” to the woman I considered incredibly short-sighted in the rain did something wonderful to this stay-at-home mom.  I recorded Pride and Prejudice (on video tape) and watched that proposal over and over and over.  I found clips on youtube and mourned when HBO stopped showing the movie.  Devastation.  But the kernel had been planted.  Pride and Prejudice + Matthew Macfadyen = (come on, you know the answer) Harry Potter!  Pardon?  You don’t get the connection?  Okay, well, follow along. 

I had not read a book for pleasure since I got married, at least twelve years.  Not that my husband prevented me, we had a baby three months after our wedding (yes, do the math) and he was born with severe developmental delays.  So reading was not something I had time to do.  At about the time that I was falling in lust with Mr. Darcy, I had also bought my nephew a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and decided to read it, just to find out what the big deal was.  Well, I remembered why I loved to read, why I loved a good story, and I suddenly could not get enough.  So I found The Leakey Cauldron, I listened to Pottercast, and . . . here it is, I found Harry Potter Fan Fiction. 

By this time I had, of course, devoured Pride and Prejudice and kept a copy in my purse (still do!).  One day the thought occurred to me, “Hey, if there is HP fan fiction, what about P&P?”  I looked on Amazon, and found a couple of wonderful books, but it was when I searched the internet that the JAFF world opened up to me.  I joined every site that I could. I had a notebook with stories listed, where they were, what chapter I was on, little details so I could have some clue of what was going on when I finally, happily, saw a new post . . . and then after a year or so of reading, the one site that I visited the most disappeared.  Not being one to do anything but read the stories, I had completely missed that the web address was changing, and for two horrible months, I was lost.  I searched desperately for the story I was reading (which, by the way, remains unfinished to this day) to no avail.  During those two months of sadness, the dark time, I started to think of my own story.  And when at last I was reunited with my favorite JAFF site, I felt that I should try to contribute.  It was then that I fully appreciated what I had lost.  

My husband had no clue what I was doing with these notebooks I would carry around everywhere.  He would ask me why I was staring off into space; really he wanted to know what was wrong with me.  Well, I was writing a story in my head.  Finally, after reading the instructions a million times, I got brave and with a shaking finger, posted my WIP.  No beta, no editing, no help (and it showed), but I did it.  And people liked it, and encouraged me, and cheered me on.  My betas were my readers, their comments were my guides, and through this incredible experience, I not only learned how to write a bit, but I have made friends who I would not give up for anything.  That is how I became a Darcyholic, and why I will never be cured. 

IF you are interested in reading the result of my musings and love of all things Darcy, particularly if he’s a blue-eyed bear of a man named Matthew, then I hope that you might enjoy my newest story, Imperative.   

Volume 1

Fitzwilliam Darcy is a man with a great many secrets to keep, one involves his sister, and the other involves his heart.  The problem is, he cannot just keep the secrets.  They demand attention, and action, and in hopeless times, a good man does not always think things through, even when he is desperately trying to do the right thing for the two most important women in his life.  

Volume 2

In the second volume of this variation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Fitzwilliam Darcy has survived threats to his mind and body, exposure of his deepest secrets, and endless challenges from his family.  He could never have come so far without Elizabeth Bennet by his side.  She has accepted and excelled in the position she has taken, and is the reason why he is so clearly the Master of Pemberley.  Now he must finish the task he began the day they took their vows.  He must safeguard his sister while protecting his estate, his family, and their future.   Hope is their byword, love is the key.

This story contains scenes of a mature nature between a happily married couple.  The entire story is 1500 pages. Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 

Link to All of Linda Wells Books on Her Amazon Author Page

I have no blog since I have not idea what to write on one, but I am always happy to hear from people on my author page at (See Link Above). I am also on Facebook, and welcome emails to lindawellsbooknut@gmail.com